


Spin a Dreidel (with Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock!)

by Aerica_Menai



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Hannukah, Jewish Amanda Grayson, Jewish Spock (Star Trek), M/M, Pre-Relationship, slight crack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:20:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21928864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aerica_Menai/pseuds/Aerica_Menai
Summary: Captain Kirk and Spock spin dreidels together. Eventually. After an extended period of miscommunication.
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock
Kudos: 44





	Spin a Dreidel (with Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock!)

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by the ever lovely and wonderful @grayraincurtain <3
> 
> Title from The Chanukah Song by Adam Sandler.

The first time Jim noticed Spock’s new and unexpected interest, they had just finished signing a treaty with the latest Starfleet-friendly population of a previously undiscovered planet. Once again, Uhura and her brilliant linguistics had streamlined the process to the point that Jim was almost...well. Bored wasn’t the right word, exploring the far reaches of space wasn’t boring, but...complacent. 

Knowing that his crew could handle anything thrown their way, Jim didn’t need to focus as hard on all the details - so he was free to notice his first officer’s conversation with one of the planet’s inhabitants. It seemed to be going well, the alien smiling and nodding in response to Spock...inquiring about something? Jim got curious and started to stand, to make his way over there, but at that moment, Spock noticed his attention and quickly moved his conversation partner around a corner and out of sight. Jim would have followed, even more curious now about what was going on, but one of the alien leaders came over and struck up a conversation, with Uhura acting as a translator, and Jim forgot all about the incident during the rousing debate that followed.

*~*

The second time Jim noticed was during their next shore leave. It was a surprise that Spock was even interested in going, as he usually stayed on board to...perform secret experiments, sit in the captain’s chair, run laughing through the halls, or...whatever it was Spock actually did while most of the crew was planetside. (Those were most of Jim’s guesses, but Spock refuses to dignify any of them with any sort of response.)

“Spock, you’re - you’re coming on shore leave?” Bones asked suspiciously as Jim grinned like a loon behind him. 

Spock eyed Jim for a second before responding to the doctor. “Yes,” he replied. “I...have an errand to run.” 

“You do?” Jim asked curiously.

Spock somehow stiffened his posture further. “Yes.”

“Aaaand...you’re not going to elaborate on that?” Jim asked teasingly. 

“It is...of a personal nature, captain,” Spock reluctantly replied.

Jim held his hands up innocently. “Fair enough, not my business as your captain...” 

Bones was probably rolling his eyes behind Jim as he continued.

“...but as your friend I’m very intrigued and am going to ask for more details.” Jim waggled his eyebrows.

Spock just stared at him. “Illogical,” he finally decreed, before stalking off.

Jim sidled over to Uhura. “Do you know what kind of personal errand Spock might be up to?” he tried.

Uhura snorted. “Nope. Nice try.”

Jim shrugged. “Can’t blame a guy for being curious.”

And because James T. Kirk was nothing if not a nosy bastard, he discreetly followed Spock after the crew beamed down for shore leave. Uncharacteristically, Spock headed for the crowded markets. Jim would have expected Spock to visit libraries or museums - centers of knowledge - rather than the densely packed shopping areas. But Jim had to admit it was a lot easier following Spock when he could hide in the crowd. 

Spock seemed to be looking for something in particular, quickly scanning both sides of an aisle before turning the corner to start again. The third time this happened, Jim turned the corner Spock had just taken, only to notice that Spock wasn’t actually there. The other two times, Spock had been right in front of him, paused at the first stall of the row as if - “That rat bastard!” Jim exclaimed half-angrily, half-admiringly. Spock had known Jim was on his tail the whole time and had - illogically, Jim realized gleefully - slowed down enough for Jim to keep up for a little while before actually getting on with what he wanted to do.

Jim could admit when he was beat; Spock had definitely won this round. 

That certainly didn’t mean Jim was going to give up, though.

*~*

Ten missions, two shore leaves and one mysterious package arrival later, Jim was getting very frustrated that he still couldn’t figure out what was going on with Spock. The Vulcan seemed hell-bent on collecting - well, something. He went out in search of it every time he could, going out of his way to make inquiries and ignoring perfectly fascinating museums and places of scientific discovery - Jim should know, he tried to distract Spock with visiting multiple landmark scientific attractions that Spock turned down, again citing his “personal errand.” 

Jim was starting to wonder if Spock’s “personal errand” was just getting time away from his annoying captain.

*~*

And then, all of a sudden, Spock’s evenings were no longer free for chess games, as had been their tradition. The first night, Jim figures something had come up; the second in a row was odd, but understandable; the third though? Three was a pattern, a pattern of avoidance, and Jim was *done.* Shitty friend or not, he had to know what was so important it was keeping Spock from chess - or, spending time with him at all, if he was being honest with himself.

That night, Jim ignored Spock’s request for privacy and burst into his room, emotions high and ready to confront his First Officer - but stopped short at the actual sight before him. 

Spock was sitting on the floor, a large pile of...something, including what Jim recognized as chocolate coins, other Earth candies and a number of vaguely familiar toys in front of him, and a caught, almost guilty expression appeared on the usually emotionless face. 

“...This is what you’ve been hiding from me - and the rest of the crew?” Jim swiftly added.

Spock nodded stiffly.

Jim sat down on the other side of the pile. “Sorry for interrupting, then. I thought...”

“You thought what, Captain?”

Jim flushed. “I thought - I thought you were trying to avoid me. It’s silly, I know,” he rambled on before Spock could respond. “I should go, leave you to - whatever this is - “

“Did you know much about my mother, aside from her human heritage, Captain?”

“I - no, not really,” Jim replied guiltily. “And after everything that happened, asking or looking into it felt inappropriate.”

Spock inclined his head. “A logical response, even if emotionally so.” He took a deep breath. “For the first few years of my life, my mother sought to share her cultural heritage with me - traditional holidays foods and playing dreidel -“ He indicated the set up between them. “-being the longest-lasting of her efforts. I outgrew the dreidel game, but now that she’s...” Spock uncharacteristically trailed off, and Jim couldn’t help himself from finishing the sentence.

“Now that she’s gone, it’s a way to honor and remember her,” Kim realized. “Oh, Spock. You could have said something, we would have - “

“Assigned unnecessary emotional significance to my choice, as you just have,” Spock snapped, spine ramrod straight.

Jim sighed. “Okay, so I was wrong about why you’re doing this, but...” He hesitated before forging on. “Isn’t dreidel a multi-person game? Wouldn’t it be logical to have at least one partner join you?”

“Perhaps,” Spock finally admitted. 

“Great!” Jim clapped his hands together. “Let’s play.”

*~*

And so they did, for the next five nights. Jim told the rest of the crew it was just more chess games, but they could tell that something had shifted between their captain and his first officer. Spock was less quick to bristle at Jim’s pigtail-pulling remarks, and Jim was in a much more cheerful mood than before their “usual chess games" had started happening.

Bones and Uhura had immediately started a ship-wide bet for guessing when the two idiots were finally going to get together.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy second night of Hannukah to those who celebrate; Happy Holidays to all :)


End file.
